"What brings you here, Your Excellency?!"
Benimaru, holding his weapon, asked Gazel in the sky with a serious tone.
"I am here to confirm some matters, introduced by Mr. Kagaya Ubuyashiki!"
"Mr. Yaozai? May I ask what matters Your Excellency wishes to confirm?"
Benimaru paused when he heard Kagaya Ubuyashiki's name, but continued to ask.
"I am here to…"
"You're here to see if we are worthy of an alliance, aren't you, Hero King Gazel Dwargon!"
"Lord Chen! Lord Rimuru!"
Everyone present looked at Zhong Chen, who had spoken, and Rimuru, who had arrived at the same time, and knelt on one knee in greeting.
"Rise, all of you! I've told you not to be so formal all the time!"
Zhong Chen helplessly waved his hand, telling the bowing crowd to rise, and upon hearing his command, they all stood up.
[Eye of Identification!]
Gazel Dwargon
Loyalty: 0
Affinity: 70
Abilities: Charisma, Heroic Spirit, Top-tier Swordsmanship… Overall Strength Rating: S-class
[As expected of the Hero King, his strength is completely on par with an Awakened Demon Lord! And all these dense skills! Tsk, tsk, tsk!]
Looking at the Dwarf King's attributes, Zhong Chen thought, "Indeed, there are only mistaken names, not mistaken nicknames."
"Presumably, you are Lord Zhong Chen! Please forgive my presumptuous visit!"
Gazel looked at Zhong Chen, who was speaking, and his heart subconsciously tightened. Although he looked harmless, he gave Gazel a sense of fatal threat, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Out of caution, Gazel decided to put aside his condescending attitude and slowly descended to the ground with the Pegasus Knights.
Zhong Chen watched the Pegasus Knights land, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
[Damn, this knight order is strong, their average strength is actually above A-class. Good heavens, if I didn't know your purpose, I'd suspect you were here to conquer our nation!]
[Eh? Could it be that he really had this intention in the original work? If Rimuru hadn't passed the test…]
[Good heavens, thinking about it this way, Gazel is in some sense even more ruthless than the King of Falmuth! As expected, those who can be kings are not simple individuals!]
"That's right, I am Zhong Chen. My guess about why you are here wasn't wrong, was it, Your Excellency!"
Zhong Chen looked at Gazel, who had dismounted from his pegasus, and replied with a serious tone.
"As expected of Lord Zhong Chen, you guessed this old man's thoughts in one go. It seems Mr. Kagaya Ubuyashiki's high praise for you is not without reason!"
Gazel, clad in armor with a longsword at his waist, praised Zhong Chen.
"May I ask where Yaozai is now?"
"Heh heh! Rest assured, Your Excellency, Mr. Yaozai is on his way back. This old man merely came ahead to confirm whether your side is truly worthy of an alliance, as Mr. Yaozai described!"
Zhong Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief when he heard that Kagaya Ubuyashiki was fine. Thankfully, he was unharmed; otherwise, Zhong Chen feared he wouldn't be able to resist running to the Dwarf Kingdom and unleashing a true Great Desolate Imprisoning Heavens Finger.
"In that case, how do you intend to confirm whether we are worthy of alliance?"
"Hahaha! The moment I saw Your Excellency, this old man knew that your side is qualified to be an ally of my country! However, I still wish to spar with that one."
At this, Gazel looked at the blue-haired girl standing beside Zhong Chen.
"After all, the leader of the Jura Forest Alliance is her, am I right, Lord Rimuru Tempest!"
"A Chen! This… should I go?"
Hearing that Gazel wanted to spar with her, Rimuru was a bit unsure whether to accept and turned to ask Zhong Chen. But before Zhong Chen could answer, Gazel continued:
"If the sword at your waist is not merely decorative, then accept my challenge!"
Hearing this, Rimuru's right hand involuntarily pressed against the sword at her waist.
[I can't rely on A Chen for everything! I need to grow too, otherwise I'll fall further and further behind A Chen! I don't want to be separated from A Chen!]
Thinking this, Rimuru straightened her body, her expression growing increasingly serious. She drew the sword from her waist, holding it with both hands and pointing it at Gazel, the Slime pendant on the sword tassel swaying continuously.
"I… Rimuru Tempest, leader of the Jura Forest Alliance, accept Your Excellency's challenge!"
"What spirit!"
Looking at the girl who had suddenly become full of fighting spirit, Gazel praised her from the bottom of his heart.
Gazel also held his sword with both hands, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and said seriously:
"If you can block my series of attacks, you win! But… I advise you not to underestimate the swordsmanship of this Sword Saint, Gazel Dwargon!"
"I understand!"
Rimuru replied with a serious expression.
Just as the two were about to begin their spar, a gentle breeze blew, and Toreini, clad in green, suddenly appeared between them. Looking at the two, she said:
"Then, let me be the witness!"
Seeing Toreini's sudden appearance, the Pegasus Knights' adjutant couldn't help but exclaim:
"Even a Dryad has come!"
Gazel glanced at Toreini out of the corner of his eye, then a slight smile suddenly appeared on his face as he said:
"I see! So that's how it is…"
Indeed, there's a reason why the Dryad race is considered a national treasure; Gazel understood everything the moment she appeared.
He had already planned to form an alliance upon seeing Zhong Chen, and now, seeing the Dryad, he had absolutely no more reservations.
Anyone recognized by a Dryad would certainly have no issues with their character.
"Since there is a witness, what are you waiting for if not to draw your swords now!"
Looking at the burly man holding a sword with both hands in front of him, Rimuru also prepared with both hands and said:
"You're right, then I'll finish you quickly and make you understand that my position as the leader of the Jura Forest Alliance isn't for nothing!"
Watching the two who were about to duel, Zhong Chen activated his Eye of Identification to check Rimuru's current attributes.
[Eye of Identification]
Rimuru Tempest
Loyalty: 0
Affinity: 100
Abilities: Great Sage, Predator, Demon Lord Seed, Black Lightning, Black Flame, Mimic Ranga, Mimic… Overall Strength Rating: S- class
[It seems Rimuru is just one step away from becoming an Awakened Demon Lord! I need to find a way to get her some souls!]
Thinking this, Zhong Chen directly opened his attribute panel and stared intently at one of the treasures.
Zhong Chen
Gender: Male
Age: 23 years old
Realm: Peak Nascent Soul Stage
Cultivation Method: Basic Cultivation Method
Special Abilities: Eye of Identification, Dimensional Gate
Follower: Izayoi Sakuya
Magic Treasures: Linglong, human emperor banner
Items: Dimensional Gate Sub-gate * 1, leibi * 7… Overall Rating: You are already a visible big shot in the myriad worlds, though you might still accidentally be stepped on! ┓(´ー`)┏!
Zhong Chen looked at the human emperor banner, constantly emitting black qi in the space, and his thoughts returned to three days ago.
Three days ago · Zhong Chen's bedroom
[System Sign-in!]
[Ding, congratulations Host for obtaining the magic treasure Myriad…]